2010's Surprising Celebrity Breakups

It didn't come as much of a surprise when Charlie Sheen announced his divorce from Brooke Mueller in November.

After all, Sheen, the "Two and Half Men" star, had been mostly estranged from his wife since he allegedly assaulted her last Christmas. But the two, who have twin sons, had also been trying -- at least publicly -- to work things out. Both completed stints in rehab and Mueller refused to testify against Sheen in the assault case.

But once Sheen accepted a plea bargain and was given probation in August, the path toward divorce seemed clear. Just days before filing the petition, Sheen was briefly hospitalized after New York police reported finding him "emotionally disturbed" in a hotel room. The room was reportedly trashed after Sheen spent a wild night with a porn star.

Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus

In October Miley Cyrus' parents, Billy Ray and Tish, told People magazine they had filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences after 17 years of marriage.

"As you can imagine, this is a very difficult time for our family," they said in a statement. "We are trying to work through some personal matters. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers."

The couple has five children, including pop star Miley, who appears to be reacting publicly to her parents' split. Recently, she was videotaped taking hits from a bong that was reportedly filled with a natural herb called salvia, which is legal in California.

"Sorry guys. I had no idea," Billy Ray wrote on his Twitter account last Friday. "Just saw this stuff for the first time myself. I'm so sad. There is much beyond my control right now."

Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman

Also in October, singer Christina Aguilera, 29, announced she was ending her five-year marriage to music executive Jordan Bratman.

"Things were so unhealthy and unhappy for both Jordan and me, I knew I had to end it," Aguilera told People earlier this month. "I really didn't want to hurt Jordan, and I felt torn about splitting our family up."

But Aguilera, also the product of divorce, said she realized that her troubled marriage would soon take its toll on their two-year-old son, Max.

"When you're unhappy in your marriage, your children are the ones who suffer," she says. "That's the last thing I wanted for my son."

Meanwhile, Aguilera appears to have grown close with production assistant Matt Rutler, whom she met on the set of her debut film "Burlesque."

"He's the kind of person you could spend hours with on the phone talking to and all of a sudden it's daylight," Aguilera told People.

Courteney Cox and David Arquette

October will be remembered as a busy month for breakups. That month, Cox and her husband, actor David Arquette, also called it quits after 11 years of marriage.

"We're not having sex, and I completely understand," Arquette, 39, told Howard Stern. "She's in a place of wanting to be real and emotional. She's an emotional being. She's an amazing woman. If it doesn't feel right, she doesn't feel like bonding in that way."